The 'Boda Clan

So we finally have Internet...which means I am already behind...again. Great. We've had a lot going on lately, but right now Elijah and Levi are at football camp and the other kids are watching Monsters, Inc. (They are soooo awesome!) and so I have some free time on my hands. I should be putting away the laundry or dust mopping the floor, but im just sitting here looking out the window at the cornfields and wondering, is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa. In case you haven't heard, we moved to Iowa last Saturday morning.

Now, I haven't got the stamina to go into the whole story right now, but suffice it to say, God picked us up out of the hustle and bustle of NW Indiana (where Tim and I grew up and all our kids have lived since they were babies) and carried us to our little cottage in the cornfields of Danville, IA. To say "I didn't see that coming" is an understatement, but to know that God directed each step of the way is divine! We have a house sitting in IN empty (oh when will it sell?). We are going to be living in what most would say is "too small" a house for 5 "lively" children. Tim just left his job of over 15 years. I suppose I could go on but I want to point to what has become the overriding theme in all of this (as in all things, right?!?) which is that God truly has orchestrated each of these seemingly negative things for our good and for His glory. The best part is that we can already see His hand through it all.

Before I start on life in Southeast Iowa, I'm going to talk about one of the sad days the kids and I had recently. Granted I don't think they fully realize what happened, but they will soon. If it wasn't hard enough for them to leave their mema and poppy, grandma and grandpa and aunts and uncles, saying goodbye to their closest friends was. Last week, we said goodbye to the Taylors. They've hung around each other for over 8 years, and don't know life without each other. They are brothers and sisters. They are cousins. They are friends.

Ty-guy and Mesay-guy. Oh how I wish they had more time! Unlike the other kids, Titus and Mesay (Mu-sigh) weren't "diaper friends" but they are so much alike that I felt from the beginning that God even had Titus in mind when he made Mesay for the Taylors! They are rough and tumble. They are strong willed and even quite obnoxious when they want to be (when the big boys leave them out). They are bulls in the china shop of life who are always on the go. Despite all of that, both of them are quite tender-hearted, loving little boys. I remember early on in their "all boy" friendship when they were both in my car and Titus gently pats Mesay's arm and says, "my chocolate" (I'm tearing up remembering that one). These boys aren't gentle (don't let that precious picture fool you), but in that endearing moment, I knew Titus had found his best friend. They had their ups and downs, mind you, probably more than the other kids, but I have no doubt that God brought them together. Oh how I wish they had more time! Titus will miss Mesay and I'm going to miss all that fair-n-square rough-housing.

Oh boy. Makenna and Micah. Good grief, just look at them. They have trouble written all over their faces!!! The babies of the family. Little sisters. The perfect storm. There is just too much to say about these precocious little girls. They are always into something making some kind of mess that their big sisters get roped in to helping clean up (these two know how to work that system). They have boundless energy (except when it comes to cleaning up those messes) and imagination galore. They fight and boss each other around, but must always hug each other goodbye. Micah will definitely miss "Kenna" and I will miss never knowing what to expect when Makenna and Micah are together!

God knew what He was doing when He brought our kids together and since I know that to be true, I trust that God knows what He is doing in putting the distance between these kids (and their parents). I am sad that it has to be this way. I pray that we find God's will in all this and perhaps, above all (from a mom's perspective) I pray that God sends along some new friends, for my younger kids especially. I know that Jackson, Abby, Makenna and Mesay cannot be replaced because of who they are and the specific spots they fill in mine and my kids' hearts, but I believe God cares about each of these kids and will send all 9 of them the friends that they need. In the meantime, I believe we as parents, the ones whose friendship carries on despite the miles, are challenged to be very purposeful in keeping the kids connected. It won't be the same, I know, but there is too much history to just say goodbye. I am excited to see how God uses this time in our lives and look forward to seeing each of the kids grow during this transition that right now is just plain sad.

 

Wouldn it have been fun to wait until a full year had gone by before updating the blog to life in SE Iowa? I'm so close. Moms? You say no? Hmm, well, it doesn't matter. I'm going to jump in head first with this little doozie of a post. I'll come back to fill everyone in on the Iowa details later.

We have been trying to sell our house and have had 11 showings in 3 weeks. All that time I have had some smell in the kitchen that I thought I was imagining after a while. I had cleaned and scrubbed and asked my friend over to confirm my nose's suspicions, only to find that, yes, something smells. Ok. Now that the obvious had been confirmed, I was at a loss as to what to do for showings, so I befriended Febreeze for each showing (Clearly the Febreeze is not working...our house is still for sale. That's a whole different story).

So yesterday morning I get up and reach in the pantry for some Rice Krispie knock-off and didn't feel the expected crinkly bag in the box. The bag was smooth. Odd, right?!? Well, this is what I pulled out:

I was speechless. How? When? Who? Perhaps most importantly, WHY??? I think at this point it will only be fruitful to be thankful for the fact that the dead animal smell has been found and buried!